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Culinary SOS: Urth Caffé's gazpacho

Dear SOS: I adore the gazpacho at the Urth Caffé. My recipe is so bland compared to theirs. I would love to know what they use to get such a wonderful flavor.

Lee Axelrod

Santa Monica

Dear Lee: With a medley of fresh and bright flavors, gazpacho is the perfect dish for a hot summer day. Urth Caffé was happy to share its secret with us, and we've adapted its recipe to share with you.

1. In a blender, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato juice and vinegar. Puree the mixture, then pour into a medium bowl.

2. Season with 1½ teaspoons of salt, or to taste (amount of salt can vary depending on the brand of tomato juice, if purchased), one-half teaspoon each of black pepper and cayenne pepper, and one-fourth teaspoon of the Tabasco, the 1½ teaspoons of lemon juice and one-quarter cup of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings and flavoring as desired.

3. Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho until well-chilled. Stir in the chives, and thin if desired with additional tomato juice or water. Taste and adjust the seasonings once more. This makes a generous quart of gazpacho.